Hi all, below is the reply sent in by Sam:
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sam Frantz <[email protected]> Date: Mon, Sep 19, 2011 at 9:32 AM Subject: Fwd: [ubuntu-np-discuss] [FOSS Nepal] Ham radios To: Jwalanta Shrestha <[email protected]> Hi Jwalanta-ji, Perhaps you could post my reply to the groups. People are free to copy me on any further traffic on ham radio issues if they wish. Best, Sam ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sam Frantz <[email protected]> Date: Mon, Sep 19, 2011 at 9:31 AM Subject: Re: [ubuntu-np-discuss] [FOSS Nepal] Ham radios To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected], ubuntu-np <[email protected]> Hi all, There is a handful of licensed ham operators in Nepal but this number is set to grow after Dashain. For the past several years, the government has not held any license examinations because the syllabus has been "under revision." Well, it's now revised and published, and I'm told that up to 20 Nepalis plan to take the exam! (Foreigners can obtain a temporary license in Nepal without difficulty, as long as they hold a valid license from another country). I used to be involved in emergency communications in the U.S. and would be glad to speak with any of you who are interested in learning more about how it works. You could also help think through what applies and what might not apply in the context of Nepal. Just one immediate note: In the U.S. and presumably also elsewhere, the power of ham radio as an emergency communications tool comes partly from the *good coordination with government and NGO emergency services providers*. For example, in my county in Minnesota, the emergency operations center has desks for law enforcement, fire officials, the weather service, the National Guard, the Red Cross, and for two ham radio operators (one VHF/UHF radio for local communications, one HF radio for regional). We already have agreements with each of these organizations that specify how we facilitate their communications in certain circumstances. To give one example, during a flood disaster some years ago, ham operators were present at each of the sandbag filling locations as well as at the temporary dikes that were being built; we passed information on how many bags were needed where. To give another example, I spent an afternoon at the Red Cross in Arlington, Virginia two days after 9/11 passing information from various aid stations at the Pentagon about which supplies needed restocking. Simple stuff, but the point is that all involved agencies had agreed in advance of a disaster about what role ham operators could play in various scenarios, and we practiced regularly. If there is interest from a large enough group in Nepal in setting up some kind of ham-based emergency communications network, it would certainly be possible. But you would face different challenges from your counterparts in the U.S., in terms of building numbers, building relationships with other responders, and in the fact that you won't be able to call in support from elsewhere (in major disasters, hams from outside the disaster area often shoulder much of the burden to allow local hams to tend to their families and property). Again, if you'd like to do a thought exercise about this, I'd be glad to meet. With best regards, Sam K0YAK/9N7AK On Sun, Sep 18, 2011 at 9:58 PM, Jitendra kumar <[email protected] > wrote: > +1 - Training/Awareness about Ham Radio would be an important step in > disaster preparedness. > > As a measure of disaster preparedness, *Cellular broadcast* > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_Broadcast> > may be another important tool. It is a part of GSM standard but I am not > sure if NTC/NCell are equipped with this technology. Can anyone get > information from them about this? This can be effective tool for a govt/NGO > wanting to broadcast some important updates/alerts in a specific area during > such disasters. > > - Jitendra > > > On Sun, Sep 18, 2011 at 11:47 AM, Bibek Paudel <[email protected]>wrote: > >> +1- we could even set up some emergency network for the future. >> >> bibek >> >> On Sun, Sep 18, 2011 at 5:45 PM, Jwalanta Shrestha <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> > Adding to the thread two prominent Ham radio operators I know in Nepal. >> > >> > ~jwalanta >> > >> > >> > On Sun, Sep 18, 2011 at 8:59 PM, Ishwor Gurung <[email protected] >> >wrote: >> > >> >> Are there any ham radio operators in Nepal? It seems that it's an >> >> immensely powerful tool to communicate when internet, mobile and land >> >> lines don't work during earthquakes or some such. >> >> >> >> I hope there are ham radio operators in and around Nepal that are >> >> willing to conduct training session/s after everything settles down. >> >> For future of course; >> >> >> >> I will not be able to engage as I live outside Nepal but I hope I did >> >> bring up an issue that is important for the society to sustain during >> >> natural calamities and confusion. >> >> >> >> Cheers >> >> -- >> >> Regards >> >> Ishwor Gurung >> >> Key id:0xa98db35e >> >> Key fingerprint:FBEF 0D69 6DE1 C72B A5A8 35FE 5A9B F3BB 4E5E 17B5 >> >> >> >> -- >> >> FOSS Nepal mailing list: [email protected] >> >> http://groups.google.com/group/foss-nepal >> >> To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] >> >> >> >> Mailing List Guidelines: >> >> http://wiki.fossnepal.org/index.php?title=Mailing_List_Guidelines >> >> Community website: http://www.fossnepal.org/ >> >> >> > -- >> > Ubuntu-np mailing list >> > [email protected] >> > Modify settings or unsubscribe at: >> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-np >> > >> >> -- >> FOSS Nepal mailing list: [email protected] >> http://groups.google.com/group/foss-nepal >> To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] >> >> Mailing List Guidelines: >> http://wiki.fossnepal.org/index.php?title=Mailing_List_Guidelines >> Community website: http://www.fossnepal.org/ >> > > -- FOSS Nepal mailing list: [email protected] http://groups.google.com/group/foss-nepal To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] Mailing List Guidelines: http://wiki.fossnepal.org/index.php?title=Mailing_List_Guidelines Community website: http://www.fossnepal.org/
